Biz Briefs of the Week: June 14, 2012

A new luxury hotel, Louisville Marriott East, is set to open on June 21. This $30 million rebuild of the former Park Inn, located at 1903 Embassy Square Blvd., features unique architecture that includes an open-concept lobby, and bourbon-inspired decor. Operated by Louisville-based Musselman Hotels LLC, this property will bring the amenities and service level of the top downtown hotels to the east end of town. The hotel also offers a new bourbon-themed restaurant, Charr’d Bourbon Kitchen & Lounge, showcasing local, bourbon-infused food, unique cocktails and more than 80 types of bourbon. Executive Chef Ryan Montgomery, formerly of Jeff Ruby’s at Belterra Casino, will head up the kitchen. For more information visit www.marriott.com.

Bristol Bar and Grille Part of Urban Bourbon Trail

The Bristol Bar and Grille is proud to announce that its downtown location at 614 W. Main St. is now an official stop on the Urban Bourbon Trail, the self-guided tour highlighting Louisville’s best bourbon bars. The restaurant, winner of more “Best of Louisville” awards than any other local restaurant, offers an extensive bourbon list. Open to anyone age 21 or older, the Urban Bourbon Trail is a free program that allows individuals to fill their passports with stamps from all 20 participating stops to receive a special gift. Trailblazers are encouraged to take their time enjoying bourbon responsibly, as there is no time frame for completing the program. Passports can be picked up at any of the stops on the Urban Bourbon Trail and at the Louisville Visitors Center (located at 301 S. Fourth St.), or participants can download the app for iPhone or Android. For more information, call the Downtown Bristol location at 502.582.1995, or find out more about all five Bristol locations at www.bristolbarandgrille.com.

Lis Lis Designs Open House

Lis Lis (pronounced lee lee) Designs will host a summer open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 15, and Saturday, June 16, at Michele George’s studio, 1927 Utica Pike in Jeffersonville, Ind. A fantastic array of summer “brights,” copper and bronze, classic natural stones and materials, Swarovski crystals and bridal jewelry will be showcased. The public is welcome. Michele George is a former interior designer who now makes handcrafted jewelry. Her work has been shown at art fairs, boutique shows, luncheons, Revelry’s Derby Show, Catherine’s Legacy’s Show 2011, trunk shows and many other venues. For more information, call 502.599.4247 or visit the Lis Lis Designs Facebook page.

Diaper Fairy delivery and laundry service

The Diaper Fairy, Louisville’s cloth diaper delivery and laundry service, was highlighted this week as one of five diaper services from across the country in an article in The Wall Street Journal entitled “What’s the Cost.” The June 6 article, which can be found in both The Wall Street Journal’s online and paper publications, summarized the benefits of diaper services and provided a cost comparison in different cities across the United States.

The use of cloth diapers is on the rise among a new generation of parents and has driven a re-emerging market of diaper services in cities like Louisville. The Diaper Fairy’s owner, Emily McCay, described their services as ideal for “today’s modern families, particularly… expecting and new parents who may be seeking more planet-friendly and affordable alternatives to disposable diapers.”

Starting July 1, state visitors and Kentucky locals will be able to embark on an adrenaline fueled tour of the most exciting zipline adventures that Kentucky has to offer. Zip the Bluegrass is a new program, free to join, that features five distinctive Kentucky locations: Mammoth Cave Adventures, Black Mountain Thunder Zipline, Red River Gorge Zipline Tours, The Big Zipper and MEGA Zips in Louisville. Participants will receive 15 percent off general admission at each of the remaining four locations after their first zipline visit. They will also receive an embossed seal for their passports from each stop, and a prize upon completion of the tour. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/zipthebluegrass.

First Choice Market

First Choice Market, a 20,000 square-foot, full-service grocery store located at 3044 Wilson Ave., is now open, serving an estimated 35,000 citizens in Louisville’s Park DuValle area and surrounding neighborhoods.

“This grocery has been a long-awaited addition to the HOPE VI revitalization of the Park DuValle neighborhood, a valuable retail service that the residents have needed and requested,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “First Choice will not only serve as a valuable anchor tenant for a new retail complex, it will bring needed jobs to the area and also will play a role in creating a healthier neighborhood by making fresh and wholesome foods more easily accessible to residents. I applaud the dedicated team of private and public sector leaders who have made the dream of this store a reality.”

First Choice Market will anchor the new retail center called Wilson Crossing and will feature a wide-selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, a deli counter and bakery to complement an extensive line of grocery items. The store will be managed by local, independent grocery operator ValuMarket, which has five other stores in the Louisville area.

“As developers with an emphasis on urban development, we understand the importance of having a full service grocery store for neighborhood sustainability,” said Robert Holmes, developer of First Choice Market and Wilson Crossing. “It was critical that we had a store owner/operator that had the kind of experience the ValuMarket organization brings to the table.”

For more information you can visit the First Choice Market, Park Du Valle facebook page.